Off-night MORE RED Series
A Chicago Premiere
All-American
By Julia Brownell
Directed by Scott Weinstein
Aug 3 - Sep 9, 2013
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Wednesday, July 24, 2013
ACT OUT OPENING: Redtwist Presents More Red & Dark Red Series
ACT OUT OPENING: World Premiere of The Beautiful Dark at Redtwist Theatre
World Premiere - The Beautiful Dark
July 24, 2013
The Beautiful Dark
A World Premiere by Erik Gernand
Directed by Josh Altman
Featuring Jeff-Award-winner, Jacqueline Grandt
How do you stop a violent mind?
What should parents do when it may seem that their son is planning a violent act--and the boy has become nearly incommunicado?
SCHEDULE
Opens: Sat, July 27, 3pm
Runs: Thu, Fri, Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 3pm
Note: no evening performance on Sat, July 27, and no performance on Sun, July 28
Closes: Sun, Sep 1, 3pm
Running Time: Approximately 85 minutes total, no intermission
Previews: $15; Wed, Thu, Fri, July 24, 25, 26, at 7:30pm
Tickets: Thursdays, $25; Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, $30 (seniors & students $5 off)
RESERVATIONS
Call: 773-728-7529
Email: reserve@redtwist.org
Reservation link: www.redtwist.org
PLAY
Nancy's son, Jacob, announces he has failed out of college, and upon returning home, sleeps all day. From this deceitful calm, Nancy makes a startling discovery: Jacob didn't flunk out; he was kicked out for writing a graphic play about a killing spree on campus, carried out by a young man who sounds eerily like her son.As the evidence mounts against Jacob, Nancy is forced to confront her darkest fears. Is her son capable of the unthinkable? And can she stop him before it's too late?
PLAY HISTORY
Erik Gernand began writing The Beautiful Dark the week after the shooting in Arizona that injured Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. He was inspired by an editorial he read in defense of the parents of the shooter that posed the question: What would you have done if he were your child?
A number of theaters have worked with the script.
- Two separate development workshops at American Theater Company, Chicago IL
- Saturday Reading Series at Chicago Dramatists, Chicago, IL
- 2-week workshop and workshop production at T. Schreiber Studio in NY, directed by new About Face Artistic Director Andrew Volkoff, Chicago, IL
- 2-week workshop and staged reading at Redtwist Theatre, Chicago, IL
- Staged reading at The Barrow Group in NY, 2012
The Beautiful Dark has also received the following:
- AWARD: New Works Project Winner, 2012, T. Schreiber Studio, NY
- AWARD: Winner of the Premiere Stages Play Festival, Union, NJ
- Finalist for the Woodward/Newman Drama Award, 2012
PLAYWRIGHT ERIK GERNAND
The Beautiful Dark is Erik's first production with Redtwist Theatre, and will open in September at Premiere Stages in Union, NJ. His plays have been in development or production at American Theater Company, Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Barrow Group (NY), and Chicago Dramatists. Erik's short films have screened at more than 100 film festivals around the world including SXSW, Cinequest, and Chicago International Film Festival, as well as been broadcast on IFC, PBS, and The Logo Channel. He is a lecturer in Radio-TV-Film at Northwestern University.
CAPTION: Nancy (Jacqueline Grandt), tries to prevent a violent confrontation between her ex-husband, Tom (Tommy Lee Johnston), and her son, Jacob (Aaron Hunt). (Photo: Jan Ellen Graves)
CAST
Jacob Bond (Charlie), Jacqueline Grandt (Nancy), Tommy Lee Johnston (Tom), Aaron Kirby (Jacob), Scott Olson (Mr. Marsh), Tiffany Williams (Sydney)
Jacqueline Grandt is a Redtwist company member and won a 2012 Jeff Award for Principal Actress in Bug by Tracy Letts. Tommy Lee Johnston is a Redtwist company member and resident playwright. His play, Aura, received a 2010 Jeff nomination for New Work. Aaron Hunt is a 2012 Jeff Award-winner for Supporting Actor in Dark Play or Stories for Boys.
STAFF
Josh Altman (Director), Reed Motz (Assistant Director), Lauren Yarbrough (Stage Manager), Olivia Baker (Assistant Stage Manager), Jeff Glass (Production Manager), Alan Weusthoff (Tech Director), Kevin McDonald (Dramaturg), Dan Stratton (Set Designer), Christopher Kriz (Sound Designer), Garvin Jellison (Lighting Designer), Kelsey Ettman (Costume Designer), Jeff Shields (Prop Designer), Jan Ellen Graves (Graphic Designer), Chris Rickett (Fight Designer), Kelsey Melvin (Set Assistant), Charles Bonilla (Box Office Manager), E. Malcolm Martinez (Box Office Associate), Johnny Garcia (Associate Producer), Michael Colucci & Jan Ellen Graves (Producers)
Redtwist is located at 1044 W Bryn Mawr, 2 blks W of LSD, 2 blks E of the Red Line EL station
Street parking (paybox until 10pm) is available on Bryn Mawr, side streets, and Broadway
Please reserve 48 hours in advance. Credit cards accepted by phone and online via BuzzOnStage to guarantee seating.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk Interview With ChiIL Live Shows #originalvideointerview #band #funk
New Orleans princes of funk, Ivan and his cousin Ian Neville (sons of Aaron and Art), continue the family tradition as touring musicians with a talented lineup in Dumpstaphunk. It was our great pleasure to score an interview with them at Summer Camp Music Festival 2013, over Memorial Day weekend.
Check out our interview for their account of a harrowing, near death experience the night before, when another driver fell asleep with the cruise control on, careened across the median and came within feet of a head on collision with their van!!
Thursday, July 18, 2013
ACT OUT EXTENDED: Congrats on the Big 2,000 Million Dollar Quartet! #ChiILPicksList
ChiIL Live Shows congratulates Million Dollar Quartet on their recent exciting landmark. The Chicago production just celebrated 2000 performances July 11th!
The kids and I thoroughly enjoyed Million Dollar Quartet when we had a chance to catch the show and meet with the cast last winter! Click here to check out our review and past coverage. Million Dollar Quartet makes our ChiIL Picks List for multigenerational musical fun. This is one show that will be as much fun for the grandparents as the kids.
To mark the 2,000th show, original MDQ cast member (now on the National Tour) Kelly Lamont joined the company for a “Sitting in with the Band” appearance during the encore. The company also celebrated with a specially-designed cake, courtesy of The French Pastry School.
Million Dollar Quartet, now Chicago’s longest-running Broadway musical, is stronger than ever. Tickets are on sale into January 2014.
Million Dollar Quartet celebrates record-breaking run in Chicago with
new block of tickets on sale now through January 5, 2014!
Million Dollar Quartet, now the longest-running Broadway musical production in Chicago’s history, has extended through January 5, 2014. With 2,000 performances and 5 smash years in Chicago, the Tony Award-winning rock ‘n’ roll musical has set a new record for the longest-running Broadway musical in Chicago.
The Chicago production continues to break box office records at the Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. Tickets are now on sale through January 5, 2014 at the Apollo box office, phone (773) 935-6100, and online through Ticketmaster, www.ticketmaster.com. For more information, visit www.milliondollarquartetlive.com.
Producer Gigi Pritzker comments, “After five incredible years, 500,000 tickets sold, 2,000 performances, 6,000 guitar picks, and 500 cans of hairspray it’s an absolute thrill for MDQ to take its place as the longest-running musical in Chicago history. Since the very beginning, Chicago has embraced Million Dollar Quartet and we are grateful for the continued and enthusiastic support of our home town audiences. It’s been a hit in Chicago, New York, London, Japan, Las Vegas and on the national tour. The show remains as exciting and engaging as always—partially due to the more than 20 rock ‘n’ roll hits in the show and the tremendous talent on stage.”
Million Dollar Quartet has extended performances through January 5, 2014, with cast members Brandon Bennett (Elvis Presley), Shaun Whitley (Carl Perkins), Lance Lipinsky (Jerry Lee Lewis), Chris Damiano(Johnny Cash), Tim Decker (Sam Phillips), Whitney Kraus Jones (Dyanne), Marc Edelstein (Jay Perkins/Bass player) and Dan Leali (Fluke/Drummer).
The Tony Award-winning musical inspired by the famed 1956 recording session that brought together legendary rock ‘n’ roll icons Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley, celebrates its long run in Chicago, a Tony Award-winning New York run, a long-running London production, a newly-opened production in Las Vegas, and a national tour that kicked-off in October 2011.
The Tony Award-winning musical inspired by the famed 1956 recording session that brought together legendary rock ‘n’ roll icons Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley, celebrates its long run in Chicago, a Tony Award-winning New York run, a long-running London production, a newly-opened production in Las Vegas, and a national tour that kicked-off in October 2011.
Credit: Paul Natkin
ABOUT THE CAST
Brandon Bennett (Elvis Presley) a native of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, has performed with legendary stars like The Jordanaires, DJ Fontana and The Sweet Inspirations. Brandon has been honored with several international awards, including prestigious honors from Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. He joins the cast of MDQ after performing for the past two years with the stage production The Elvis Story in Quebec, Canada. Brandon recently appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman.
Shaun Whitley (Carl Perkins) is a musician, actor, composer, and Jeff nominated music director. Some
Chicago credits include: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Flute/Thisbe) with Chicago Shakespeare Theater; PumpBoys and Dinettes (Jim) with Drury Lane Theater; Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Tommy, u/s Buddy Holly) with Drury Lane Theater; Uncle Vanya (Telegin) with TUTA; and Cotton Patch Gospel (Bass/Mandolin) with Provision Theater. He studied acting at RADA in London.
Lance Lipinsky (Jerry Lee Lewis), a Texas native, grew up studying his dad’s record collection of Elvis, Roy Orbison, and his hero, Jerry Lee Lewis. These influences never left him and now, at age 24, he combines these styles in his own original music similar to early Rock & Roll, classic Country and even a touch of 1960’s pop. His energetic live shows have led him all over the world, even to making his national television debut at the original Ryman Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN.
Chris Damiano (Johnny Cash) is an Atlanta native, whose Chicago credits include Sugar at Drury Lane Oakbrook, Theo Ubique’s productions of Evita (Che, Jeff Award Non-Equity) and Jacques Brel’s Lonesome Losers of the Night (Man 1, Jeff Award Non-Equity). Damiano played guitar for Lil’ Buds Children’s Theatre productions of Those Silly Reindeer and Still Life with Iris. He currently plays with the bluegrass band Groundspeed and with the Italian folk/jazz group I Monelli monelli.
Tim Decker (Sam Phillips), a longtime Chicago actor, has appeared at Chicago Shakespeare, Goodman, Next, Milwaukee Rep, Touchstone, Shattered Globe, Stage Left, Famous Door, American Theatre Company, and American Blues (where he received a Principal Actor Jeff Award for his work in Toys in the Attic), among others.
Whitney Kraus Jones (Dyanne) is making her Chicago debut in Million Dollar Quartet. Jones recently graduated from Ball State University and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Past credits include Syncope (Short Film), Brighton Beach Memoirs, Beauty and the Beast, Dancing at Lughnasa, and Godspell.
Dan Leali (Fluke, Drummer) a native of the Chicago area, has performed with jazz trumpeter Randy Brecker; songwriters Jewel, Liz Phair, Peter Himmelman and Robbie Fulks; Poi Dog Pondering; Fareed Haque; bluesman John Primer; and Liquid Soul. He has performed on television and radio jingles, as well as arcade and video game soundtracks, and maintains a private teaching practice. Dan is also a founding member of the band Tributosaurus.
Marc Edelestein (Jay Perkins, Bassist) Devoted to American roots music, Marc has performed internationally in rockabilly, bluegrass, country, and folk projects. Performances include altcountry’s Robby Fulks Band; 7 years with Special Consensus Bluegrass Band; musical revue Women In My Life with singer-songwriters Bob Gibson and Michael Smith; Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s country & western auxiliary CSOakies; and numerous recordings. Marc made his theatrical debut as string bassist and vocalist in the Jeff Award winning Woody Guthrie’s American Song (Northlight, Briar Street Theater), and performed in Shakespeare’s As You Like It (Goodman Theater).
ABOUT MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET
On December 4, 1956, an auspicious twist of fate brought Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley together. The place was Sun Records’ storefront studio in Memphis. The man who made it happen was Sam Phillips, the “Father of Rock ’n’ Roll,” who discovered them all. The four legends-to-be united for the only time in their careers for an impromptu recording that has come to be known as one of the greatest rock jam sessions of all time.
Million Dollar Quartet features a treasure trove of the greatest rock ’n’ roll, gospel, R&B and country hits from these music legends, including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Fever,” “Sixteen Tons,” “Who Do You Love?,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Ring of Fire,” “Whole Lotta’ Shakin’ Goin’ On,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I Walk the Line,” and “Hound Dog.” Million Dollar Quartet captures the infectious spirit, freewheeling excitement and thrilling sounds of a singular moment when four of the music industry’s most extraordinary talents, all in their creative prime, came together for one of the most memorable nights in music history.
Directed by Eric Schaeffer and Floyd Mutrux, with a book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux. Million Dollar Quartet is produced by Relevant Theatricals, John Cossette Productions and Northern Lights Inc.
Million Dollar Quartet had its world premiere at Florida’s Seaside Music Theatre, and was subsequently staged at the Village Theatre in Washington, breaking box office records. In Chicago, the production moved to the Apollo on November 5, 2008, following its sold-out, limited engagement at the Goodman’s Owen Theatre. The Broadway production garnered three Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical and Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Levi Kreis; three Drama League Award nominations; and an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination. Million Dollar Quartet is the longest-running production in Chicago’s history and is also currently playing in Las Vegas and on tour.
TICKETS
Million Dollar Quartet tickets are on sale through January 5, 2014. Tickets to Million Dollar Quartet at the Apollo Theater are available through the Apollo Theater box office, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave, (773) 935-6100. Tickets are available online through Ticketmaster, www.ticketmaster.com.
Tickets are $25-$85. (Standard ticketing fees apply.)
Rush student tickets for select performances (Wed-Fri and Sun evenings only) are available 2 hours prior to curtain at the box office with valid Student ID. Student rush tickets are subject to availability.
The Apollo performance schedule is as follows: Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8:00 p.m.; Saturdays at 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; and Sundays at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday performances will be at 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. starting June 2, 2013 for the duration of the summer.
FAMILY NIGHTS
Million Dollar Quartet will offer special family discounts on select Sundays. Family nights have extended through the summer of 2013, and are currently scheduled for July 28 and August 18 at 5:00 p.m.
Tickets to Million Dollar Quartet Family Nights are buy one, get one free. (One child under 17 will be admitted free with each adult ticket purchase.) The evenings will feature giveaways with special gifts fromMillion Dollar Quartet. Check www.milliondoallarquartetlive.com/family for information about upcoming Family Nights.
Million Dollar Quartet is a 90-minute, family-friendly production. Audience members of all ages are invited to laugh, clap—and even dance—during the show.
For more show information, visit www.milliondollarquartetlive.com.
Credit: Paul Natkin
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CREATIVE TEAM OF MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET
Director Eric Schaeffer is the acclaimed co-founder and artistic director of the Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA, where his work has been honored with numerous Helen Hayes Awards including Outstanding Direction. He directed Putting it Together and Glory Days on Broadway, the first national tour of big, The Musical, and the West End debut of The Witches of Eastwick. He also served as artistic director for the Kennedy Center’s recent Sondheim Celebration.
Floyd Mutrux is also the co-author of the book to Million Dollar Quartet, sharing writing credits with noted Grammy® Award-winning author and music historian Colin Escott. Mutrux has written, directed or produced numerous films, including the classic biopic of early rock ’n’ roll American Hot Wax, Dick Tracy and Mulholland Falls. Escott, the author of numerous books including Good Rockin’ Tonight – Sun Records and the Birth of Rock ’n’ Roll, was awarded a Grammy® for producing The Complete Hank Williams, and was nominated for a Grammy for producing B.B. King – King of the Blues.
Musical Director Chuck Mead, with multiple hit records, has stood at the forefront of the alternative country music explosion as founder and lead singer of BR549, the three-time Grammy® Award nominated country band.
Relevant Theatricals (Producer) is a commercial production company headed by Gigi Pritzker and Ted
Rawlins, dedicated to developing new work for the stage. Current projects include: Snapshots, a new musical with book by David Stern and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, creator of Wicked, Pippin andGodspell; and a new musical version of Dennis The Menace, scheduled to open in Seattle later this year. Relevant’s sister company, Odd Lot Entertainment, develops and produces outstanding new film properties. Current productions include the feature Rabbit Hole, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by David Lindsay-Abaire, starring Nicole Kidman and Dianne Wiest, and directed by John Cameron Mitchell. Relevant Theatricals is proud to be part of the producing team that developed Million Dollar Quartet.
John Cossette Productions (Producer) was founded by John Cossette whose 30 year career in the music industry as an innovative producer of large scale events was legendary. John produced the Grammy’s, the BET awards, the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and a star-studded concert in Central Park. He was deeply involved with MusiCares and the EJ Jackson Foundation which helps to feed the homeless in Los Angeles. Under the direction of Rita Cossette the company will continue to develop and produce music related entertainment.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
BLACK TUSK Announce European Tour #tourdates #originalphotos #videointerview #metal
Black Tusk is one of our favorites in the metal genre and maybe the only "swamp metal" band around. Here's our original video interview with the guys and our live show shots from a number of their Chicago gigs over the past few years.
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Spiritualized at Lincoln Hall 7-12-13 #originalphotos
I had the pleasure of shooting Spiritualized for ChiIL Live Shows at Lincoln Hall in Chicago 7/12/13. Check out our original show shots right here.
Sweet Heart Sweet Light
"When you make a record, it has to be the single most important thing in your world. This time around, I wanted to do something that encompassed all I love in rock 'n' roll music. It's got everything from Brtzmann and Berry right through to Dennis and Brian Wilson. I'm obsessed with music and the way you put it together and I don't believe there are any rules." So says, J. Spaceman, commenting on the recording of his new album, Sweet Heart Sweet Light, which was released on Mississippi-based independent Fat Possum in March 2012.
Recorded over the past two years in Wales, Los Angeles and Reykjavik, and mixed for a year in the confines of his own home, Sweet Heart Sweet Light was Spiritualized's seventh studio album and the first release since last year's epic Radio City Music Hall rendering of their 1997 game changer Ladies In Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space.
Coming four years after release of the internationally acclaimed Songs In A&E,Sweet Heart Sweet Light was one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of 2012. Taking musical risks is a hallmark of Spiritualized's outlook.
Witness them playing the new album, unannounced, from start to finish live at London's historic Royal Albert Hall - something unheard of in today's clamour for instant hit gratification. As J.Spacemen says "I don't believe there are any rules" and this album will testify to that.
- 1:01
- 1. Huh? (Intro)
- 8:52
- 2. Hey Jane
- 3:40
- 3. Little Girl
- 6:47
- 4. Get What You Deserve
- 3:45
- 5. Too Late
- 8:23
- 6. Headin' for the Top Now
- 4:31
- 7. Freedom
- 4:38
- 8. I Am What I Am
- 6:12
- 9. Mary
- 4:03
- 10. Life Is a Problem
- 7:52
- 11. So Long You Pretty Thing
Friday, July 12, 2013
CLUTCH Frontman Neil Fallon to Guest on VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show" This Saturday Night! #metal
Neil Fallon speaks with Bonnie Kenaz-Mara (AKA: ChiIL Mama) for ChiIL Live Shows  Clutch has been one of our favorite, literate alt-metal bands for decades! We own almost all their albums and our kids have grown up belting out Clutch. It was a high point of our year to score an interview with Neil Fallon. He spoke with us about Earth Rocker, beard bands, inspiration, weird lineups, name origins and more. He even contributed to our long running video series on How Creatives Parent & How Parents Create for ChiILMama.com Thank to the commenter who said "Finally, the interviewer is not an idiot." You made my day.Clutch is getting some main stream acclaim at last. But they're no sell outs. Their new material is intense and as amazing as ever! Click here to check out our original Clutch live show shots, album review and more past coverage.
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